Celtics Must Finish Strong

Against all odds, the Celtics are one the brink of a playoff berth (MassLive)

I don't want to jinx it, but the Boston Celtics are almost there. The regular season ends one week from tomorrow, and when it does Boston might be playoff-bound.

In order to hold onto the 8th seed, however, the Celtics have to close out the year strong. They currently hold a one game lead over the Indiana Pacers, who just got Paul George back from the nasty leg injury he suffered last August. There is no margin for error.

Boston's schedule isn't exactly a cakewalk, either. They play the Pistons in Detroit tomorrow, then the Cavs in another road game Friday. They return home to face Cleveland again on Sunday, play their final home game versus the Raptors Tuesday, then fly out to Milwaukee to wrap up their season against the Bucks.

That's five games in eight days against some pretty good teams, not to mention thousands of miles of travel. The Pistons are one loss away from being eliminated, but they're not dead yet so you can bet they'll put up a fight tomorrow. The Cavs are settled in as the number two seed, so they don't have much to play for, but they're still a much better basketball team than the Celtics what with LeBron James, Kevin Love, and co. Cleveland's also red-hot, having won eight of their last ten games. The best Boston could hope to do would be to top Detroit, then earn a split with Cleveland.

The Raptors are still vying with the Bulls for the third seed/trying to avoid letting the Wizards knock them out of the fourth seed, but at least the Celtics will have home court advantage for that one. Then it's on to Milwaukee, which could be a must-win for Boston depending on how the next week plays out. Let's hope it isn't, because winning the second game of a back-to-back on the road after flying 1,000 miles is going to be damn-near impossible. The Bucks will have probably locked up their own playoff berth by then, but if not then that game is going to be a knockdown, dragged out fight to the death.

If Boston can go 2-3 over the next week, then that should be good enough to put them in the playoffs. because even with George back, the Pacers probably aren't going to win four out of five. The easiest way for the Celtics to do that is to beat Detroit tomorrow night and steal Sunday's game from the Cavs, as Cleveland could be resting regulars on the road. If not, they might have to wait until the season finale to clinch, which hopefully doesn't happen. Boston's been on such a tear recently--19-12 since February 2nd--that I don't think it will.

The Celtics are so close to making the playoffs that I can taste it. Now they just need to finish the job.

Celtics Mount Rushmore

Russell is the greatest Celtics player of all-time (NBA)

Last month I picked my Red Sox Mount Rushmore of Ted Williams, Carl Yastrzemski, Davif Ortiz, and Tris Speaker (in retrospect, I replace Ortiz and Speaker with Roger Clemens and Pedro Martinez). So who belongs on the Celtics version?

Well, Bill Russell, obviously--the man has 11 rings and is considered by many to be the greatest defender, if not the greatest player, of all-time. Larry Bird was another no-brainer.

But what about the last two spots? In my mind there are only three legitimate options: Bob Cousy, John Havlicek, and Paul Pierce.

Cousy's in because even now, 50 years after his last game, he's still regarded as one of the best point guards in basketball history. He led the league in assists eight straight seasons and, along with Russell, was instrumental in building the Celtics' dynasty of the late '50s/early 60's.

The last spot is a really tough call. Hondo spent his entire 16 year career with the C's and has that signature moment from the 1965 Eastern Conference Finals. He's also the franchise leader in games, minutes, field goals made, field goals attempted, and points scored. Pierce leads in three pointers made and taken, free throws made and taken, and is second in points/points per game. They were about equal as scorers and were also good passers, rebounders, and defenders.

It's really close--splitting hairs--made even tougher by the fact that I never saw Havlicek play. But I'll give the nod to Hondo, who played his whole career with Boston and helped raise eight championship banners.

End of an Era

Six years after it began, the second Big Three era in Boston has officially come to an end.

A few months from now Doc Rivers, the team's head coach for nine seasons, will be drawing up alley oops for Chris Paul and Blake Griffin. Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce, the greatest Celtics since Larry Bird and Kevin McHale, will be suiting up for the Brooklyn Nets. And Ray Allen, who broke Reggie Miller's career three-point record with the Celts, will be back with the Miami Heat helping them gun for their third straight NBA championship.

The thought of all that, of Pierce and KG not retiring with the Celtics, of Rivers coaching against them, of Allen helping LeBron James instead of hurting him, is hard for me to wrap my head around. It shouldn't, because this day was a long time coming. Danny Ainge said over and over that he wasn't going to repeat Red Auerbach's mistake of keeping McHale and Bird into their golden years instead of trading them when they still had value. Red's unwillingness to break up the original Big Three (along with the death of Len Bias and not getting Tim Duncan in the '97 draft) was a big reason why the team went 21 years between Finals appearances.

Ainge took that lesson to heart. There's no room for sentimentality in sports. When the time came, he'd do what needed to be done, no matter how much it hurt.

So now, with his stars approaching the twilight phases of their careers and the team in a state of transition, he pulled the trigger on a pair of blockbuster trades to reshape his roster and start preparing for life after Pierce, Garnett, and Allen.

Still, a small part of me didn't want to let them go. I wanted to see Pierce and Garnett play their last games wearing the Celtics green. I wanted Doc to guide them through the rebuilding process. I wanted a chance to say good-bye.

Now, all that's left of the Big Three is the memories, the fondest of which have been fading for quite some time.

There was the title year of 2008, when the Celtics were just as good as everyone thought they'd be. Boston's new super-team ran roughshod over the league, winning 66 regular season games and hoisting the franchise's 17th Finals trophy on the Parquet floor in June after thoroughly dismantling Kobe Bryant's Lakers. At the time it felt like we were witnessing the birth of the next Celtics dynasty, when in reality it was just the beginning of a prolonged hunt for that elusive 18th title.

Then came the much-anticipated title defense of 2009, as Boston looked to become the franchise's first repeat champions since Bill Russell's 1968-'69 teams. They probably would have done it, too, had they not lost Kevin Garnett to a season-ending knee injury in February, forcing them to lean heavily on Brian Scalabrine and Glen Davis during the playoffs.

That was followed by the crushing near-miss of 2010, when the Celtics went up 3-2 in their finals rematch with the Lakers, only to have Kendrick Perkins' knee explode in Game 6 and blow a 13 point third quarter lead in Game 7. In 2011 Perkins was traded to the Thunder for Jeff Green, dealing an emotional blow to a team that felt like it would have beaten the Lakers had Perkins remained healthy. Demoralized and depleted, they were bounced from the first round by Miami's juggernaut and seemed to be finished as serious championship contenders.

But in 2012, the Celtics made everyone believe again. Dismissed as too old and slow, they somehow willed themselves to within one win of the NBA Finals before the Heat snuffed out their hopes for one last shot at a title. The Celtics had no business getting that far, but they defied the odds and penned a heartwarming postseason story. Perhaps with the right moves, they'd be able to fight Father Time for another year and keep their championship window open just a bit longer.

We didn't know it at the time, but that was the beginning of the end. It started when Ray Allen--the greatest pure shooter of all time--defected to the Miami Heat for less money. He felt disrespected after Ainge tried to trade him (twice) and brought in Jason Terry. At the end of the day, money wasn't everything, especially for a man who'd earned nearly $200 million of it. Allen knew joining forces with James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh greatly improved his chances of winning another ring. Sure enough, Allen got the last laugh when he helped the Heat clinch another NBA title.

Back in Boston, Terry and Courtney Lee weren't the answer and the team's playoff hopes went up in smoke when Rajon Rondo shredded his ACL in late January. Ainge missed a prime opportunity to tear the team apart at the trading deadline, instead deciding to hold out and explore his options after the season. To their credit, the resilient C's fought on without Rondo, hanging tough with the New York Knicks for six games in the first round. However, it was obvious the once proud Celtics had deteriorated into a .500 team, good enough to make the playoffs but not nearly talented enough to compete for a championship. Drastic changes were required.

Rivers saw the writing on the wall and jumped ship. He made it clear that he didn't want to stay, essentially forcing his way out of town a la Dwight Howard and Carmelo Anthony. He turned his back on a front office that stuck with him during the rough times early in his tenure and recently made him the league's highest paid coach. In return, all the Celtics could fetch for him was an unprotected first round pick in 2015, not Eric Bledsoe and/or DeAndre Jordan as they originally hoped.

I hate the manner in which Rivers left Boston, bailing out with three years left on his contract, but if he couldn't commit to the rebuilding process then he wasn't the right man for the job. You don't want to be here? Fine. Go. Good riddance. Besides, I've always felt that he's better handling veterans than he is with fostering the growth of young players (not that there were many of those in recent years). The Celtics would benefit from a new voice on the bench, a patient coach willing to put the work in now and reap the rewards later.

That said, the Clippers are lucky to have Rivers, a spiritual leader who connected with his players and always seemed to squeeze the most out of them. He's also the best coach in the league when it came to drawing up plays out of time outs. Rivers represents a significant upgrade over Vinny Del Negro, whose incompetence has prevented the Clippers from reaching their full potential these past two years. With Rivers at the helm, LA looks like a serious championship contender.

So do the Nets, who now boast a starting five of Pierce, Garnett, Joe Johnson, Deron Williams, and Brook Lopez. Pierce and Garnett are old, but they can still play at a high level. The future Hall of Famers are much better than the men they'll replace: Kris Humphries and Gerald Wallace.

The Celtics, on the other hand, aren't going to raise that 18th championship banner anytime soon. Realistically, it'd be in their best interest to tank this season and land a top draft slot in next year's draft, which is shaping up to be one of the best in years. The last time they tried that they missed out on Kevin Durant and Greg Oden, but ended up trading for Allen and Garnett so everything worked out.

In the meantime, Boston is officially Rajon Rondo's team, which I suspect is how he always wanted it to be. They've been his team at various points in recent seasons, especially during the playoffs, but now they're really his team. He'll have to make the most out of a less than stellar supporting cast--Humphries, Wallace, Jared Sullinger, and Avery Bradley--but the onus is on him to elevate his game (read: scoring) and play like the superstar he's shown himself capable of being when he wants to be (aka national TV Rondo).

Boston fans can only hope he gets along better than the new coach than he did with Rivers. Otherwise, it won't be long before he gets pushed out the door, too.

Celtics Live to Fight Another Day

Pierce brings the Boston crowd to its feet with a three-pointer

Just when I had given up the Boston Celtics and resigned myself to the fact that they were almost certainly going to get swept in a playoff series for the first time since Kevin Garnett donned the Celtic green, they sucked me back in. They reminded me that they are a gritty, resilient basketball team with mountains of pride and just enough talent. Not deep enough to win a seven game series without Rajon Rondo, mind you, but enough to compete and battle and hang in there, even if they usually falter at the end.

Playing in front of a home crowd for possibly the last time this season, the Celtics exhibited the kind of heart you'd expect from them in that kind of situation. Playing with energy, purpose, and desperation, they staved off elimination by willing themselves to a 97-90 overtime win over the New York Knicks on Sunday afternoon.

The Knicks were without J.R. Smith, who served his one-game suspension for elbowing Jason Terry's face in Game 3, and clearly missed his presence on offense. With New York stumbling through a 35-point first half, the Celtics roared out to a 19-point lead. Boston was in control, the game seemingly in hand.

But the Celtics have been prone to blowing huge leads all year, a bad habit that almost cost them the game. Boston gave New York easy points, letting the Knicks gather momentum and ultimately battle them to a draw at the end of regulation.

Typical Celtics. They never, ever make it easy on themselves.

So with Boston's season hanging in the balance and no Rondo to save them, Terry took matters into his own hands. JET came on strong at the end, scoring Boston's last nine points to lead them past NY in OT. It was a put-the-team-on-my-back performance usually reserved for superstars of the highest order, the LeBron Jameses, Kobe Bryants and Carmelo Anthonys of the world.

Speaking of Anthony, he finally suffered his first off-night of the series. After torching Boston for 96 points in the first three games, 'Melo shot a pitiful 10-of-35 from the floor in Game 4, the kind of inefficiency that negates the value of his 36 points. He needed and got lots of help from Raymond Felton, who dropped 27 points and sparked New York's second half surge, but nobody else stepped up.With better bench play, the Knicks would already be in the second round.

But they aren't, and there's more basketball to be played. I was ready to forget about the Celtics and move on, but now there's another game. There's still hope. I'll tune in when the series resumes on Wednesday night, expecting to see the same effort I saw today. That's really all I can ask for.

Celtics Clinch Playoff Berth

The Boston Celtics clinched a postseason spot with their 98-93 win over the hapless Detroit Pistons. Jeff Green led the way with 34 points (on 13 of 19 shooting), 6 rebounds and 4 blocks. Paul Pierce and Brandon Bass both chipped in 17 points apiece as Boston improved its record to 39-36.

Though they got crushed on the boards (Greg Monroe snared 17 of them), the Celts compensated with lockdown defense. The Pistons shot below 37 percent from the floor and missed 20 of their 24 three-point attempts. Those paltry numbers can be mainly attributed to one man--Charlie Villanueva--who bricked all but two of his 17 attempted field goals and came up empty on all eight of his threes.

So with that, more than two months after losing Rajon Rondo for the season, Boston has a reason to celebrate. But their long, arduous journey is far from over; it has just begun.

Starting tonight against the Cleveland Cavaliers, the seventh-ranked C's have just seven games left to try to improve their seeding. If they get hot and win five or six of those games they could leapfrog both the Derrick Rose-less Chicago Bulls and Atlanta Hawks in the standings to settle at fourth in the East, but that's unlikely to happen. The Celtics sputtered lately--5-9 over its past 14--and will be hard-pressed to fare much better with Doc Rivers expected to rest his starters. That means  Boston is going to battle either the New York Knicks or the Indiana Pacers in the first round.

Though it pains me to say this, they will probably lose, possibly in four.

Never mind the fact that Indy and New York are vastly superior teams. The C's have never been eliminated from the first round since the Big Three era began, but this could be the year they finally bow out before the conference semis. They're another year older and they'll really miss their star point guard, who always takes his game to another level during the postseason. It remains to be seen how effective Kevin Garnett will be on a bum ankle and creaky knees. In addition, this will be their first playoff run without clutch sharpshooter Ray Allen to bail them out with his late game heroics. Jason Terry, his replacement, has not lived up to expectations and needs to step up his game over the next few weeks. If Terry catches fire this team becomes much more dangerous offensively, but when he's slumping Pierce is the only true shooter capable of spreading the floor for Green, Avery Bradley and co. to attack the rim.

Terry's the X-Factor, and Boston needs him now more than ever.

Green Gets Going

It's been nearly two months since the Boston Celtics lost Rajon Rondo for the remainder of the season. At the time, Rondo's ACL tear seemed like a devastating blow for an aging Celtics team that had just lost six in a row and was going nowhere fast. But instead of folding without their star point guard as many (myself included) predicted they would, the resilient Green are 16-8 in his absence. Several Celtics have picked up the slack in Rondo's absence, but none have enjoyed a bigger turnaround than the much-maligned Jeff Green.

Yes, the same Jeff Green who couldn't do anything right his first two years with Boston is on the path to redemption. He hasn't played this well since his heyday alongside Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook in Oklahoma City, and it couldn't have come at a better time. Green's done his best to erase a dismal first half by stepping up when the Celts need him most. Since Rondo went down, Green has hiked his scoring to 15.5 points per game while maintaining stellar percentages: 50 percent from the floor, 40.7 percent from downtown and 84.8 percent from the charity stripe. He's also blocked 1.4 shots per game over that stretch. Not only has his success sparked the Celtics' recent surge, but it has also gone a long way towards silencing the fans and media that soured on Green and wanted him gone months ago.

Now, it's hard to imagine what Boston would do without the athletic swingman. It took time for Green to adjust to his bench role, and even more time to play his way back from heart surgery, but he's finally coming around. He seems to have settled down and started producing like he can and should.

That potential, which typically manifests itself in the form of monster dunks, was on full display Monday night when he erupted for 43 points.  The Celtics fell to the Miami Heat, 105-103 at the Garden, but Green was the talk of the town after torching the NBA's hottest team. Though he typically comes off the bench, Green started in place of Kevin Garnett and made the most of it. He nearly carried the Celtics to victory by drilling 14 of his 21 field goal attempts (including five three-pointers) and sinking 10 of 13 free throw attempts.  In a game loaded with future Hall of Famers, Green was the best player on the court that night save for LeBron James.

Look for Green to continue to play a key role for Boston down the stretch as one of the team's top scorers (arguably the best one not named Paul Pierce) and best reserve. He seems to be in a groove right now and is poised to finish the season strong. The Celtics need him to continue playing at a high level as they fight to improve their playoff seeding in the Eastern Conference, so expect Doc Rivers to keep leaning on the versatile 26 year-old, hoping his next big game is right around the corner.

NBA Trade Deadline Recap

In the wake of consecutive losses to the Denver Nuggets and Los Angeles Lakers, the Boston Celtics bolstered their backcourt by trading Jason Collins and Leandro Barbosa to the Washington Wizards for Jordan Crawford.

This is a good move for the Celtics, who were able to clear some deadweight from their roster and get a solid scorer in return. They won't miss Collins (who's nothing more than a scrub at this point in his career) or Barbosa, who's out for the year with a torn ACL. Given Barbosa's injury and expiring contract, it's unlikely that he'll ever play a minute for the Wizards, who just made themselves worse (if that's even possible).

Danny Ainge probably should have focused on bringing in a big man instead, but Crawford should be a nice pickup for the offensively-challenged C's. The athletic shooting guard is streaky and lost playing time in Washington following John Wall's return from a knee injury, but he's still a useful player. Crawford can score points in bunches (nearly 18 per game from November 14th through January 4th), has developed a decent three-point shot and, most importantly, can dunk over LeBron James. He'll extend the bench for Doc Rivers while infusing some youth into one of the NBA's oldest rosters.

In what turned out to be a quiet and disappointing trade deadline (no Josh Smith trade?!), there was only other one real move of interest. The Orlando Magic sent J.J. Redick, Gustavo Ayon and Ish Smith to the Milwaukee Bucks for Tobias Harris, Beno Udrih and Doron Lamb. The Bucks, currently in control of the eighth seed in the East, drastically improved their bench by stealing one of the NBA's top sharpshooters. The former Blue Devil was in the midst of a breakout season with Orlando, averaging 15.1 points per game with 45-39-89 shooting splits as the Magic's second best scoring option behind Arron Afflalo. He won't get as many touches playing alongside Monta Ellis and Brandon Jennings, but he has to be ecstatic about escaping the second-worst team in the NBA (they really were just Dwight Howard and a bunch of guys) and climbing aboard a legitimate playoff contender.

As for the Magic, dealing Redick might be just what they need to sink below the Charlotte Hornets in the standings and improve their lottery odds. You can't blame them for trying.

Celtics Lose, Face Lakers

Last night the Boston Celtics kicked off their five game road trip by losing to the Denver Nuggets, 97-90.

The shorthanded C's played pretty well in their first game post All-Star Weekend, but fell apart in the final five minutes as the Nuggets went on a 13-6 run to close out the game. Ten of Denver's crunch time points were supplied by Danilo Gallinari and Ty Lawson, the duo that inflicted most of the damage on the Celtics defense. Each player scored 26 points (no other Nugget had more than 11) and racked up double-digit free throw attempts. They picked up the slack for Andre Iguodala, who bricked all seven of his field goal attempts and looked rusty in his return from a neck strain. Lawson failed to commit a single turnover despite using more than a fifth of his team's possessions. The Nuggets were particularly careful with the ball, turning the ball over just seven times to one of the NBA's best defensive units.

Though the undersized Celtics held their own on the boards (Denver is a so-so rebounding team despite Kenneth Faried averaging nearly ten boards per game), they gave away too many free points at the charity stripe. Celtic defenders were called for 24 fouls, allowing Denver to pile up 36 free throw attempts to Boston's 16. That disparity ended up being the difference last night.

Then again, the Celtics probably would have prevailed if either Paul Pierce or Kevin Garnett had done much on offense, but they combined for just 22 points on the evening. Pierce in particular struggled mightily with his shot, missing 12 of 14 field goal attempts before fouling out with ten seconds left in the game. Jason Terry (seven points) and Brandon Bass (six) were also non-factors. Jeff Green rose to the occasion and continued his strong play of late by dropping 20 points 8-of-12 shooting, though he failed to do much else (two rebounds, two assists) in his 33 minutes of action. Nevertheless, Green is making the most of his increased workload and finally looks comfortable in Boston.

The Green hope to rally tonight against the Los Angeles Lakers, who haven't played in nearly a week. Boston crushed LA in their most recent meeting two Thursdays ago 116-95, which means Kobe Bryant will do everything in his power to avenge that humiliating defeat. With the Celtics playing the back-end of a back-to-back, pitted against the fully rested Lakers, expect Bryant and company to play better this time around.

NBA Storylines to Watch

With All-Star Weekend behind us, here are five NBA storylines to keep an eye on in the second half:

Who will get dealt?
The trade deadline is looming (Thursday at 3 pm EST) and trade rumors are swirling. Who's going where, and for whom? Rudy Gay has been the biggest name to switch teams so far, but that could change in the next 48 hours. Some players who could have new homes by the end of the week include Josh Smith, J.J. Redick, Kris Humphries, Paul Millsap, and Monta Ellis. Stay tuned.

Can the Celtics Keep it Up?
Boston entered the All-Star Break on a roll, having won eight of nine despite losing Rajon Rondo, Jared Sullinger and Leandro Barbosa for the remainder of the season during those two weeks. Everyone is stepping up and pitching in, from Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce to Jason Terry, Jeff Green and Courtney Lee. Everyone knows the C's are heavy on heart and pride, but how will their depleted roster fare over the next two months, when the long season takes its toll on players (especially older ones)? We'll find out soon enough. Ready or not, the Celtics face a challenging travel schedule down the stretch. They kick off the second half with a five-game road trip and play 60 percent of their remaining games away from the TD Garden.

Who's the MVP?
LeBron James or Kevin Durant? Both are having historic seasons--James in terms of overall efficiency and Durant in the art of shooting a basketball. You can't go wrong with either one. While they're not the only ones having MVP-caliber seasons--Chris Paul, James Harden, and Tony Parker are all worthy of consideration-- this is truly a two-horse race headed for a photo finish. Right now it's too close to call, and I don't see either candidate separating himself from the other anytime soon. Expect plenty of heated debate over the next few months, on par with the Mike Trout/Miguel Cabrera arguments that consumed talking heads last fall.

Will the Lakers turn it around?
Not as long as Mike D'Antoni is head coach. With Pau Gasol hurt, Dwight Howard not himself and Steve Nash starting to look his age, the Lakers don't look nearly as good as they did on paper six months ago. Kobe Bryant is doing everything he can to keep the ship from sinking, but it's not going to be enough.

Are the Spurs really the best team in basketball (again)?
Every year Tim Duncan, Tony Parker, and Manu Ginobili get a little older, and every season ends with San Antonio at or near the top of the NBA standings. They're like the New York Yankees of basketball. Even with Ginobili riding the pine more often than not, the ageless Spurs rode strong first halves from Duncan, Parker, Tiago Splitter, and Danny Green to the best record in the NBA. Regular season success notwithstanding, the franchise hasn't won a championship in six years and the window for another title isn't opening any wider.

Without Rondo, Celtics Roll

Pierce reacts as the Celtics cruise to a 21-point win over the Lakers 

The Boston Celtics have been up and down all season long, but who would have expected them to hit their stride mere seconds after losing star point guard Rajon Rondo to a season-ending ACL tear?

Well, um, not me. That's for sure.

The day Rondo was declared done for the year, Boston outlasted the Miami Heat in a double-overtime thriller. They spoiled Ray Allen's return to the Garden nearly two weeks ago and haven't lost since, despite losing promising rookie Jared Sullinger for the remainder of the season to back surgery.

In that time, they've taken down the defending NBA champions/top team in the Eastern Conference and both LA teams--the Chris Paul-less Clippers (who reportedly want Kevin Garnett) and Lakers minus Pau Gasol. They've also crushed the Kings, trounced the Magic (sans Arron Afflalo) and dropped the new-look Raptors, who welcomed back Andrea Bargnani from a torn ligament in his elbow.

The driving force behind Boston's recent success is that many Celtics players who struggled earlier in the season are now receiving more minutes/touches. As a result, they look more comfortable on an offense that is more free-flowing without Rondo's dominating the ball and have finally stepped up. Jason Terry, who's struggled with his shot all season, has knocked down nearly 56 percent of his field goal attempts during Boston's winning streak. Jeff Green strung together five double-digit scoring performances for the first time since Boston traded away Kendrick Perkins for him two years ago. Courtney Lee, whom Doc Rivers slotted in as the starting two guard while sliding Avery Bradley over to the vacant point, has acquitted himself well. Leandro Barbosa's been a sparkplug on offense as well.

The Captain has done his part, too. Paul Pierce, the team's top scorer and most versatile weapon, has embraced more of a point forward role on offense similar to the one Andre Iguodala adopted during his last few years with the Philadelphia 76ers. Before Rondo went down, Pierce was averaging 3.8 assists per game, right in line with his career average of 3.9. Since then, he's bumped that figure up to 6.2 without sacrificing his scoring numbers. Expect Pierce to continue racking up the dimes in Rondo's absence and possibly establish a new career high in that department.

The Celtics don't play again until the Denver Nuggets come to town on Sunday, a timely break given the enormous weekend snowstorm currently blanketing Boston with several feet of snow. After that, the Green have a hellish month of basketball in front of them that includes ten road games (versus just three at the Garden) and represents Boston's most formidable challenge of the second half. Their new-look offense will be tested, and Rivers must adjust accordingly if opponents catch on. GM Danny Ainge doesn't expect to make any major moves before the trading deadline, meaning Pierce and Garnett probably aren't going anywhere.

But after months of twists and turns, anything is possible.

Celtics lose Rondo, Beat Heat

The Celtics were Rondo's team, but now he won't be there to guide them 

The Boston Celtics won Sunday afternoon's game against the Miami Heat, but lost their star point guard for the rest of the year.

In what has already been a rollercoaster (read: frustrating) season for the Celtics, it was fitting that the team suffered a crushing loss while in the midst of securing its most exciting win of 2013.

Rajon Rondo sat out today's tilt on account of his hyperextended right knee, an injury he suffered during Boston's demoralizing double-overtime loss to the Atlanta Hawks on Friday night. It didn't appear to be serious but his precautionary MRI revealed a torn ACL. Rondo will undergo surgery and is out indefinitely.

It goes without saying that losing Rondo is a devastating blow to the Celtics, especially on offense. Rondo is directly responsible for 17 made field goals per game (5.9 scored, 11.1 assisted), nearly half of his team's 36.7 field goals per game. That's a huge hole to fill, especially since Boston lacks a true backup point guard. Rondo's irreplaceable, but for the time being Doc Rivers will slide Avery Bradley (a shooting guard by trade) over to the point and use Courtney Lee at the two. Combo guard Jason Terry should also see an uptick in playing time, but all three must pick up the slack. Hopefully Danny Ainge can find a decent replacement on the trade market, but right now it doesn't look like there's much out there.

He can't afford to sit around and do nothing. It's hard to see Boston, 20-23 with Rondo and currently in the eighth seed, holding onto a playoff spot without their best player. The Philadelphia 76ers trail them by 2.5 games but expect Andrew Bynum to return before the All-Star Break. When healthy, he's one of the top centers in the game, the kind of impact player that can push Philly over the top and get them back to the postseason. Boston looks like a .500 team with each passing day and its schedule is only going to get harder. There's a rough road to hoe, and it doesn't look like Doc Rivers has the tools to meet the challenge.

But if today's game is any indication, the Celtics' season may not have gone up in smoke along with their point guard's. In a throwback display of pride and determination, Boston still managed to defeat the Heat 100-98 in a double-OT thriller. The win snapped a six game losing streak for the Celtics, who hadn't won an overtime game since December 12th.

After blowing a 27-point lead in Atlanta Friday night, Boston bounced back with a tenacious effort to kick off its four game homestand. The Green ground it out by getting back on D and digging in, preventing Miami from pushing the tempo and beating them with their athleticism. Celtics defenders filled the lanes, deflected passes and forced 20 turnovers. They couldn't stop LeBron James (who can?), but held red-hot Dwyane Wade to 6-of-20 shooting. They turned Mario Chalmers, Udonis Haslem, and Shane Battier into non-factors. They even held their own on the boards despite allowing James and Chris Bosh, who's averaged 6.1 rebounds per game since December 13th, to inhale 16 boards apiece.

Boston's bench play keyed the victory as well, for Celtics reserves outscored Miami's bench 39-23. Jason Terry struggled with his shot (1-for-7 from beyond the arc) but still contributed 13 points, while Jeff Green dropped 11 in a whopping 42 minutes of court time. Leandro Barbosa chipped in nine points. The Heat got 21 points from Ray Allen but a whole lot of nothing from Battier, Joel Anthony, Norris Cole and Rashard Lewis.

Speaking of Allen, Ray Ray made his much-anticipated return to the TD Garden after going Benedict Arnold on the Celtics last summer. Jesus Shuttlesworth teased the Garden crowd with a stellar performance that had to make Celtics fans wonder why Danny Ainge ever let him leave. The timeless sharpshooter logged more than 38 minutes off the bench and rained 21 points through the Garden nets, proving he still has plenty of gas left in the tank. His signature highlight was the corner three he buried to trim Boston's lead to one with 25 seconds remaining in regulation, the kind of clutch shot that endeared him to Celtics fans before he turned to the dark side.

The other members of Boston's new Big Three also played well. Paul Pierce gritted his way through 49 minutes to notch a triple-double with 17 points, 13 rebounds and 10 assists. Kevin Garnett enjoyed his tenth double-double of the season by amassing 24 points and 11 boards. Both needed to step up with Rondo out, and they certainly rose to the occasion. They must sustain that high level of play in the second half if Boston is going to secure a postseason berth.

The Celtics have a couple days off to catch their breath before they resume play again on Wednesday against the Sacramento Kings. Hopefully 48 minutes will be enough to decide that game, because if the Celtics play any more overtime games they're not going to make it to the All-Star Break, much less the playoffs.

Celtics Turn the Corner?

Pierce led the charge on Saturday as Boston emerged victorious (boston.com)

After enduring a particularly brutal spell in which they dropped eight of ten games and fell three games below .500, the Boston Celtics appear to be back on track after notching consecutive wins this weekend.

The Green welcomed Avery Bradley back from shoulder surgery in their first game of the new year but lost anyways--their fourth in a row--when the fearsome Memphis Grizzlies strolled into the Garden on Wednesday and beat Boston 93-83. More of the same for the Celtics, who got hammered on the boards and came up short despite making Zach Randolph and Marc Gasol non-factors on offense.

Boston snapped its losing streak with a blowout win in front of an anxious home crowd on Friday night. The Green Machine rolled over the Indiana Pacers in a 94-75 rout. The Celtics defense clamped down on the Pacers, forcing 18 turnovers and limiting them to just 27 made field goals on 31.8 percent shooting. David West and Paul George both shot 4-of-18 from the floor and Tyler Hansbrough was the only Pacer to score more than ten points. The romp allowed Doc Rivers to provide some much needed rest to his aging squad; a dozen Celtics received court time and nobody played more than 30 minutes.

Then the C's traveled down to Atlanta and beat the Hawks, 89-81 on the tail end of a back-to-back. Boston started slow and fell behind early, going down 13 at the end of the first and losing by 15 heading into the second half. The Celts regrouped during intermission and came out of the locker room guns blazing. Looking like a totally different team, they turned the game around with a lopsided third quarter in which they outscored the Hawks 33-to-9. Atlanta didn't make much of a counterattack in the fourth quarter, probably because four of Larry Drew's starters exceeded 40 minutes of PT.

Once again Boston played great defense, forcing 18 turnovers and holding the Hawks to 28 converted field goal attempts. Rajon Rondo led the way with his second triple-double of the season in a stat-stuffing performance highlighted by 14 points, 11 boards, 10 dimes and 3 steals. Paul Pierce poured in 26 points, grabbed nine rebounds and handed out five assists. The dynamic duo have carried Boston's mediocre offense all season long, and at some point Jason Terry, Courtney Lee and Jeff Green need to step up. Bradley isn't going to add much in this regard, at least not right away. It's going to take some time for him to get back into game shape and find his rhythm.

At least the C's dominated the glass for a nice change of pace, hauling in 44 rebounds including 16 of the offensive variety. Keep in mind that Atlanta is also a poor rebounding team, so don't expect this fluke to become a trend. Nevertheless, it was nice to see Jared Sullinger active on the boards, hauling in 19 missed shots in the two games combined. He's limited offensively but plays good D and is a solid source of rebounds when Kevin Garnett and/or Brandon Bass need a breather. Danny Ainge still needs to acquire another big man to bolster the bench, but Sully is looking more comfortable and seems to have found his niche.

The Celtics look to get their record back to .500 Monday evening when they take on Carmelo Anthony's New York Knicks in the Madison Square Garden. The Knicks pose a formidable challenge. for they have the second best record in the Eastern Conference and just got Amare Stoudemire back last week. The two teams have yet to face each other this season.

Celtics Sputtering

After dropping six of their past eight games, the Boston Celtics stumble into tonight's tilt in Sacramento with a 14-15 record.

The last few games have been downright ugly. After enjoying a big win in Brooklyn on Christmas Day, the Celtics flew out to California for a three game set but apparently left their A Game behind on the East Coast. On Thursday they were blown out of the Staples Center by Chris Paul, Blake Griffin, and the red-hot Los Angeles Clippers. Boston mustered just 77 points, its lowest scoring output of the season, while allowing the Clips to pile up 106. Last night's tilt against the Golden State Warriors didn't go much better. Minus Rajon Rondo and Leandro Barbosa, the shorthanded C's managed 83 points against Golden State's much improved defense and lost by 18.

Why is Boston off to another sluggish start? How come the Celts aren't just losing, but losing badly (in two-thirds of their losses they were outscored by at least ten points)?

Well, they're old, but you knew that already. The simple answer is a lack of rebounding, especially on the offensive end. Boston ranks second-to-last in the Association in offensive rebounding and total rebounding, and routinely gets crushed on the boards. It's telling that Kevin Garnett leads the team in blocks and rebounds with 0.8 swats and 6.9 rebounds per game. The starting five has ample size with KG and Brandon Bass, but the second unit is woefully undersized (especially with Chris Wilcox sideline by a sprained thumb) and gets eaten alive by bigger, stronger teams.

The defense is still good but has been undermined by this lack of size as well. Last year the Celtics had the stingiest defense in the league, one that allowed the second fewest points per game and boasted the best Defensive Rating. So far this season the defense is letting up eight more points per game and ranks near the middle of the pack. I haven't been impressed by the interior defense, but fully expect the perimeter D to improve once defensive stalwart Avery Bradley returns from shoulder surgery.

The offense has been underwhelming as well, despite great starts from Rondo and Paul Pierce. Newcomers Jason Terry and Courtney Lee were expected to fill the void left by Ray Allen but have been disappointments so far. Neither one looks comfortable in their new digs yet. The Jet's usage rate is way down, from 23.3 percent last year to 17.5 percent this season, and his field goal attempts have dropped by one-third. He needs to look for his shot more and not be afraid to pull the trigger. As for Lee, he's struggled with his outside shot, converting fewer three-point attempts than ever before. Doc Rivers gave him a lot of run last night--a whopping 40 minutes--and he responded with 18 points. Hopefully that performance inspires confidence in Lee and gets him back on track.

It's still too early to panic. Last year Boston got off to a similarly sluggish start--15 wins and 17 losses--before turning it around and going 24-10 to close out the season. I expect the Celtics will start to gel soon enough once the newcomers settle in. This year's squad has been plagued by inconsistency and underperformance early on, but it's only a matter of time before it turns the corner, gets on a roll and plays like the team that came within one win of a Finals appearance last spring.  Danny Ainge would be wise to trade for another big man to bolster the frontcourt, but I don't believe a major shake-up is necessary.

Tonight, in their final game of 2012, the Celtics finish up their West Coast swing with a favorable matchup against the Kings. Look for the Green to end the year on a high note.

Celtics Correlation

I used the 2012-2013 Boston Celtics to look at the correlation between minutes per game and points per game.

Boston has played just seven games to date, so the sample size is pretty small. Nevertheless, there's an obvious correlation between the amount of minutes players receive and the amount of points they score. Simply put, more playing time means more points, and less playing time corresponds to fewer points scored. Who would have guessed?

In basketball, scoring is all about opportunity. It's impossible for a player to score when he's riding the pine. The more time he spends on the floor, the more shots he takes and the more points he scores.

Paul Pierce, the team's captain and leading scorer, ranks second in minutes per game. Kevin Garnett rates second in points and third in minutes. This trend holds true for the reserves as well as the starting five. Darko Millicic and Kris Joseph, the benchwarmers, play less frequently than anybody else on the team. Accordingly, they rank dead last among Celtics in points per game.

I found it interesting that Rajon Rondo leads the team in minutes but ranks third in points per game. This probably has something to do with the fact that he's leading the NBA in assists with just under 13 dimes per game. As a pass-first point guard, his job is to set up teammates and facilitate the offense, so it makes sense that his scoring totals are somewhat suppressed. Rondo has shown the ability to score at will in the past, especially during the playoffs, but instead sacrifices many scoring opportunities for the good of the team.

Heat Outlast Celtics

In a fiercely contested rematch of last spring's Eastern Conference Finals, the Miami Heat once again came out on top. The defending champions received their rings, then proceeded to take down the Boston Celtics, 120-107, in the NBA opener on Tuesday night.

Boston led early on, but Miami was in full control for most of the second half after pulling. away in the third. The Heat built a 19 point lead with eleven minutes to go, but Boston fought back with a Leandro Barbosa fueled run in the fourth quarter. The C's closed the gap to four points with two minutes left to play. But then Boston went cold, missing all four of its field goal attempts while the Heat finished out the game on a 9-0 run to secure the win. But not before Rajon Rondo delivered a flagrant foul on Dwyane Wade by grabbing his neck as he went up to score, a move Wade later referred to as a "punk play." D-Wade clearly overreacted here; even though the game was essentially over, Rondo made the right move by preventing the lay-up with a hard foul, and that's all it was. A hard foul.

What was Wade expecting, a slap on the wrist?

Other notes:

Boston

Kevin Garnett struggled offensively, as he scored just nine points and finished the game with more turnovers (five) than field goals (four). On the bright side, he hauled in a dozen rebounds and blocked a pair of shots.

Paul Pierce did his thing, finishing with 23-5-5, drilling two triples and sinking all nine of his free throw attempts.

Brandon Bass put up a double-double with 15 points and eleven boards, six of which came on the offensive end (more than the entire Miami team). He's a great fit here, and I'm glad he re-signed.

Rondo played more than 43 minutes and stuffed the stat sheet with some gaudy numbers; 20 points on 9-of-14 shooting with 13 dimes and seven rebounds. However, nitpickers will point out that he missed both his three point attempts, went just two-of-four at the line and didn't get any steals. I think this will be the year Rondo puts it all together and produces an MVP caliber season.

Courtney Lee looked solid in his Celtics debut before foul trouble forced him to the bench, scoring eleven points on just six field goal attempts. Jason Terry was unimpressive in his first game in Celtic green; JET had turnovers than field goals and failed to connect from beyond the arc. Jeff Green, playing his first game in nearly 18 months, did nothing (three rebounds and no field goals).

Barbosa scored all 16 of his points in the fourth quarter. Talk about a one-man comeback.

Didn't see enough of rookie Jared Sullinger to form much of an opinion about him. Will have to wait for him to emerge during garbage time.

Turnovers were a problem for Boston, as they piled up 15 TOs compared to Miami's 8. When you give the Heat extra possessions, you pay the price.

The Celtics hit three treys in the first quarter and three in the fourth, but didn't hit any in the second and third quarters.


Miami

Ray Allen had an outstanding performance in his first game against his former team. Ray Ray needed only seven field goal attempts to drop 19 points off the bench. He's my early favorite for Sixth Man of the Year (assuming Kevin Martin gets hurt at some point). Rashard Lewis also looked good in his Miami debut, netting ten points and five boards in just under 19 minutes of action. He gives the Heat some much needed depth off the bench and should be in line for a solid season.

Miami's other reserves were useless; Norris Cole, Udonis Haslem and NBA Finals hero Mike Miller combined for three points and three rebounds.


Wade led all scorers with 29 points but posted the worst +/- on the Heat with his -6 (primarily because he was present for Boston's last-ditch comeback).

Mario Chalmers did a great job facilitating and finished with eleven assists.

Lebron James initiated his quest for a fourth MVP trophy by pairing ten rebounds with his 26 efficient points despite logging the fewest minutes of the Heat's starting five.

Chris Bosh went for 19 and 10, but the part of his stat line that surprised me the most was his three blocked shots. Bosh was never a good shot-blocker in Toronto but he's become even worse in Miami, where he's averaged just 0.7 swats per game. You think he'd get at least one per game by shots deflecting off his giraffe neck.